If you want to learn basic Russian language, you can just learn some idioms and phrases. But, if your goal is to master the Russian language, you must have a good understanding of Russian grammar. You can learn one by one aspect of the Russian language, such as the perfective, imperfective aspect, adjective, and Russian cases here. In a previous post we have learned the Dative case of Russian nouns. Now let’s talk about the instrumental case of Russian nouns.

The instrumental case is used to describe a noun as an instrument. There are several prepositions that follow the instrumental case: c (with), между (between), перед (in front of), за (behind), над (over), and под (under). To make a sentence in the Instrumental case, you should know the formulas as you can see below.

How To Form Instrumental Case of Russian Nouns

Masculine

• Replace a noun with a consonant ending with –ом

Брат – Братом (brother)

нож –  ножом (knife)

Карандаш –  Карандашом  (sugar)

• But there are exceptions when the masculine nouns are –й and –ь. Replace it with –ем.

Учитель  –  учителем (teacher)

Чай –  чаем (tea)

• When the masculine nouns ending are -я or -a, add –ей or –ой

Дядя – дядей (uncle)

Папа –  папой (papa)

Here are for further example of masculine nouns:

• Он пишет карандашом.
  (On pishet karandashom.)
  He writes with a pencil.
• Ирина хочет чай с лимоном.
  (Irina khochet chay s limonom)
  Irina wants tea with lemon.

Feminine

• Most feminine nouns have ending –а. Replace it with -ой

Книга – Книгой (Book)

Девушка – девушкой (Girl)

Картина – Картиной (Picture)

• Replace -я  with –ей

Тётя – тётей (aunt)

• Replace -ь  with -ью

Ночь – ночью (night)

Here are for further example of feminine nouns:

• я с любимой книгой.
  (Ya s lyubimoy knigoy)
  I’m with my favorite book.
• Я дышу под водой.
  (Ya dyshu pod vodoy)
  I’m breathing under water.

Neutral

• Replace –о  with –ом

Окно – окном (window)

Радио – Радиом (radio)

• Replace –ем with –е

Море – морем (sea)

Here are for further example of neutral nouns:

• Она пьет кофе с молоком.
  (Ona p’yet kofe s molokom)
  She drinks coffee with milk.
• я ем хлеб с мясом.
  (ya yem khleb s myasom)
  I eat bread with meat.

Plural

• Change the plural form with –ами or –ями

Учитель – учителями (teacher)

Девушка – Девушками (girl)

Окно  – окнами (window)

• But there are some exceptions to some neutral words like:

ребёнок – детьми (children)

человек – людьми (people)

Here are for further example of plural forms:

• Нина с детьми ходили в кино.
  (Nina s det’mi khodili v kino)
  Nina with children went to the cinema.
• Я окружаю себя хорошими людьми.
  (Ya okruzhayu sebya khoroshimi lyud’mi)
  I surround myself with good people.

Now, it’s your turn to make a sentence of each gender of a noun. After practicing several times, you will find the instrumental case of the noun Russian easier. To experience a fun and different learning environment, you can practice with your friends who also want to learn Russian. Practice makes perfect~